Hydrocodone Addiction Intervention and Treatment in Texas
Hydrocodone addiction intervention and drug rehab options in Texas are equipped to manage all severity of prescription drug addiction. Hydrocodone is a commonly abused pain medication and requires well-rounded drug rehabilitation. Most drug rehab centers in Texas evaluate the addict and determine what treatment methods are most effective. Hydrocodone addiction requires medical detox because withdrawal symptoms are painful and uncomfortable. Medically supervised drug detox in Texas uses medication with medical supervision to manage withdrawal symptoms. Hydrocodone addiction requires residential and outpatient drug rehab, and many families organize a family intervention to motivate the addict to accept help.
Residential drug rehab centers in Texas offer short-term and long-term rehabilitation. Typically, the severity and extent of addiction determine the length of time needed for rehab. Inpatient drug rehab offers more modalities of therapy and counseling to address all severity of pain medication addiction. Outpatient drug rehab requires the patient to attend treatment daily but not live at the facility. It is also important to consider aftercare support, such as 12-step meetings, peer support groups, and sober living homes. Overall, no one form of drug rehab is right for every person, and treatment settings and interventions should meet the needs of the addict.
What is Hydrocodone, and How is the Drug Used?
Hydrocodone is a generic synthetic opioid found in various brand names such as Norco, Lortab, and Vicodin. Hydrocodone is most often prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain and is prescribed to treat chronic cough. The common ways that hydrocodone is used include swallowing, snorting, or injecting the drug. Pain medication like hydrocodone is made in a lab using the same chemical structure as naturally occurring opioids.
Unfortunately, prescription pain medication like opioids are abused by taking the drug for the effect it causes to get high, taking someone else’s prescription, or taking the medication in a way or dose other than prescribed. Someone who abuses hydrocodone can swallow the medicine in its normal form. Most addicts will crush the tablet or open the capsule and dissolve the powder in water. Liquid forms of pain medication are injected into a vein, or tablets could be crushed and snorted.
What are Common Street Names for Hydrocodone
Common street names for hydrocodone include Vikes, Veeks, Idiot Pills, Scratch, 357s, Lemonade, Bananas, Dones, Droco, and Lorries. Hydrocodone is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Drugs Act. Illegally produced pain medication has been encountered in powder form, and these drugs are also encountered as tablets, mimicking pharmaceutical opioids products. Illegally produced synthetic opioids are often encountered as a single substance in combination with other opioids or other substances. Illegally produced synthetic opioids are structurally related to the Schedule II opioid analgesic fentanyl and were originally trafficked and abused on the West Coast in the late 1970s and 1980s.
What Causes Hydrocodone Drug Addiction?
Hydrocodone drug addiction is a common problem in Texas. However, according to the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and overdose prevention program have decreased other opiate, synthetic narcotics, and benzodiazepine drugs prescribed in the state. Prescription pain medication like hydrocodone causes drug addiction because opioids bind to and activate opioid receptors on cells located in many areas of the brain, spinal cord, and other organs in the body. Opioids attach to these receptors and block pain signals sent from the brain to the body, and release large amounts of dopamine throughout the body.
The increased levels of dopamine in the body reinforce the act of taking the drug, making the individual want to use more. Prolonged hydrocodone use also causes dangerous physical and psychological dependence. Physical and psychological addiction occurs easily, and painful withdrawal symptoms prevent most people from stopping their drug use. Some of the short-term effects of opioids include drowsiness, confusion, nausea, constipation, euphoria, and slowed breathing.
Abusing opioids can cause slowed breathing leading to hypoxia resulting in brain damage, coma, and even death. In addition, prescription opioids and heroin are chemically similar and can produce a similar high. Most people addicted to prescription pain medication switch to heroin because it is cheaper and easier to get than prescription opioids. Drug detox and drug rehab programs in Texas are equipped to manage all forms of prescription pain medication use.
Hydrocodone Addiction Treatment and Detox in Texas
Treating hydrocodone addiction involves managing tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Drug rehab and drug detox centers in Texas are equipped to manage all severities of opioid addiction. The long-term use of prescription opioids, even as prescribed by a doctor, can cause some people to develop a tolerance. Drug dependence occurs with repeated use, causing the body and mind to function normally only when they have the pain medication. Drug addiction involves compulsive or drug-seeking behavior caused by regular drug use.
The first step in treating hydrocodone addiction involves medical detox to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Common withdrawal symptoms begin within a few hours after the drug was last taken. Withdrawal symptoms include muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, uncontrollable leg movements, and severe cravings. Other withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, increased tearing, runny nose, agitation, yawning, and sweating. Medical drug detox programs in Texas often use medication-assisted treatment under medical supervision to ease withdrawal discomfort.
The next phase of drug rehabilitation involves attending a residential or outpatient drug rehab program. Drug rehab centers in Texas often use a combination of behavioral therapies and holistic or natural approaches. Behavioral therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step facilitation, and family therapies are effective approaches. Drug rehab for hydrocodone addiction should be well-rounded and focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit. Drug rehabilitation should also involve aftercare support such as 12-step programs, peer support groups, or sober living homes.
Family Intervention for Synthetic Drug Addiction in Texas
Opioid addiction causes dangerous physical and psychological dependence that makes it difficult to stop using. Drugs like hydrocodone are highly addictive when abused. Most people addicted to pain medication are unwilling to accept treatment or ask for help. Family intervention in Texas for hydrocodone addiction is an excellent option. Professional intervention motivates the addict to accept help and attend a drug rehab center. With the help of a professional interventionist, family and friends come together to confront the addict and demonstrate how their drug addiction has impacted their life and the lives of their family. The family is guided through the intervention process and can set clear boundaries and consequences if their drug-addicted loved one refuses help.
Sources-
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-opioids
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/commonly-used-drugs-charts#prescription-opioids
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Synthetic%20Opioids-2020.pdf
